Substack Isn’t LinkedIn 2.0 — It’s Just Revealing Who’s Still Operating Like It Is
I read Wes Pearce’s piece and nodded all the way through — especially the part about watching your “local coffee shop get bought out by Starbucks.” I’ve been here too long to get angry about it anymore. Now I just see it as another signal.
Not that the game is broken. It’s just not real.
It’s been a hustle since the beginning — back when it still felt new, original, or interesting.
Think about the situation carefully.
Gary Vee owns a media agency. He spends hundreds of thousands a month on organic social marketing to get clients for his agency.
Alex Hormozi hired a YouTube agency to blow up on YouTube. He's looking for investments.
Dan Koe and Justin Welsh got in early and now sell “how to succeed” programs that mostly rely on you copying their approach. They want to work as little as possible directly with people.
Sure — some of these systems work. But for most people, they don’t. And the money at the top? It’s not as big as it seems. I’ve got people in my network who made hundreds of millions off just a few smart real estate deals. I was in a CEO group for years. Most of the members had 8-figure companies built on real products — and actual stability.
The people getting hurt are the regular folks. The ones who think Substack is the new creator economy. The ones who think writing online is a solid business model. The ones trying to make a real living off a structure built for content volume, not personal freedom.
What’s happening now isn’t the rise of creators. It’s the rise of the creative original — as we start to find each other, across the globe.
Most people are still playing the wrong game.
Stuck in old business models — or now stuck in new ones.
Creating content for profit.
Chasing influence as a path to income.
Trying to become an online persona instead of an actual person.
I Played Their Game
That’s why my experience may be relevant here.
From the ’90s to 2023, I explored every version of business you can imagine — lifestyle companies, sales funnels, authority content, viral video, leveraged personal brands. I even helped sell early-stage AI solutions to major corporates. Built a 7-figure virtual company too.
It worked in the market. But it never held when it came to family, purpose, or real internal stability.
I knew how to get the meetings. I knew how to close.
But I kept waking up inside someone else’s blueprint.
I had succeeded — but I wasn’t free.
It took losing nearly everything to realize: the problem wasn’t marketing.
It wasn’t mindset either.
I took the risks. I had the money. I followed the models.
The problem was the system itself — built on performance, extraction, and expert empires.
I’ve always been early to every new ecosystem, every new technology, every new playbook. But that never guaranteed meaning from vision realized. It just gave me a better seat at the table.
That’s Entrepreneur 2.0:
Find the trend
Leap to win
Compete to stand above
Scale first
Position high
Build hierarchy
Optimize for visibility
I Walked Away
In early 2023, I flipped it all.
I had already turned a profitable company into passive income. So I shifted my attention, fully. I studied the Gene Keys. I came back to my marriage, found my stories, connected with the right people. I moved toward presence. I let go of the idea that business meant winning a war.
That’s when The Entrepreneur Experience was born.
Not a program.
Not a platform.
Not a signature framework to attract buyers.
An experience.
A field of dreams — where people who couldn’t be boxed in could finally build something real.
What We’re Building
We’re a team of 12 founders. Not authority marketers. Not passive-income course sellers.
People with soul-level buy-in. We even guide each other.
Some of us have built agencies. Others ran spiritual healing practices. Some rebuilt their lives after military service, trauma, or deep collapse. But we all came together for one reason:
We couldn’t bear to watch another generation of builders get trapped in influencer logic.
People like:
Brian Muka, who rebuilt himself after Iraq and now helps people face fear with precision.
Maria Platusic, who spent decades in brand design and now helps the most talented voices finally be heard.
Rick Meekins, who walked away from the traditional consulting world to help founders lead from their actual values.
Judy Kane, who clears subconscious blocks — gently, without force.
Chanda Crist, who can architect chaos into simplicity like no one else. Her relationship with AI is unmatched.
Mike Ashabraner, who burned down years of popularity marketing to build a heart-centered attraction system.
Louisa Jovanovich, who teaches clarity as a path to sovereignty — after years working with Hollywood elites who have more money than God but crave real connection.
Yael Lazar, who evolved her legal career to help founders and families preserve not just wealth, but wisdom.
Hello, I am still quite new to Substack and find this all very strange. Does the world or the Substack readers or anyone else really need newsletters?? For what? I never woke up in the morning thinking: I can't wait to read one of those 555 newsletters on improving whatever it is that could be improved... I am sorry, but that seems a little off to me. Just live! Enjoy! Write if you love writing or just don't if you don't! That's MY message.
I spend more time deleting and unsubscribing so I feel you. I’m mostly here to build some connections with unique souls and find people to fill the void left in my soul from the modern world. I care less about reading newsletters but occasionally I do.
I don't know if I'm in the right but since one month I've grown addicted to reading some incredible newsletters from a few handpicked writers. That way I don't jump around trying to read everything from everybody. I take my time to go through a few issues and if I find the content in them to be genuinely useful and relatable, only then I subscribe. The picture was quite the opposite from what it is today. I had to unsubscribe from a lot of newsletters at the onset of this year because they were only saturating my inbox. I wouldn't miss reading them.
Quite surprisingly, I have a good writing day when I spend the first half an hour in the morning reading a Substack newsletter issue from my selected writers list.
Very much agree with your first part. On your second part on looking at that as an opportunity. I am an optimist and often look at every new challenge as an opportunity of growth.
But, from the tech VC world, I have also learnt that you might be running a profitable and highly loved coffee shop in a nearby neighborhood. But when a star coffee chain baker by VC capital comes in, offering a lot of more free internet+full day work desks+extra cookies with coffee + almost 100% cashback until the neighbourhood coffee shop is going to get out of business.
It's important to figure out where do you wish to compete..
I really appreciate this perspective, thank you! I'm still relatively new to Substack and have tried a few techniques (paid/free subscriptions, posting daily, sounding like a guru vs. a relatable person) and it's been a learning curve!
Thank you for putting words to some of the feelings we weren't expressing, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in these experiences.
I'm glad you wrote this article as I started to notice a few of the things you talk about as well. The influx of big names definitely can feel discouraging, but you’re right that it’s a different game here. Substack rewards substance over spectacle. And in a sea of repackaged advice, the proper way forward with substack is voice, depth and staying power. The big names may win the algorithm, but the most authentic will win the reader.
“The rules are different here.” 💯 you nailed it. I’m pretty new here, but I agree that having big names come here and bring their masses is a good thing. It’s still a dramatically different platform with different DNA and that’s what matters!
This is very true. I actually don't see it as a thread that influencers from other platforms come here, it's actually inspiring because you know that there is potential. Not to make more money but to build connections.
You said that someone said this:
You want to position yourself as the only person who can solve the problem you solve, in the way you solve it. That way, nobody can ever replace you.
It's interesting as this is what I actually do. I help fitness brands find their edge, position themselves as the only brand that can solve the problem the way they can by uncovering new hidden value and sacrificing something their industry loves.
Would you suggest to 'close' all other social media and jump to Substack 100% ?
What happens if your clients are on other platforms?
I've been on the Internet a long time, trying to make it as a digital creator. For over a decade I had less than 100 followers. I wasn't sure whether to blame my, or my methods, or the platform system itself.
When you're a small account you often feel like you're screaming into a void. Or throwing bottles out into the sea. Not only is it not your career, but you are not guaranteed a single comment or view.
So for awhile I tried following all the gurus. They are the experts, so they must know how to help right? I'd read about marketing funnels, posting schedules, algorithm obsession, optimizing your content for retention and virality.
I tried some of those things, but I could never fully commit to it because it felt "off" to me in a way I couldn't explain. Like I'm sure it works for some people, but it wasn't working for me. I didn't want to use people or make "optimized" content.
Another point was the post you made about starting over. Each time I messed up and "ruined" the account metrics, I would start over. Because I was afraid that I would be "punished" for my pace.
I am *not* the kind of person who can make daily videos. Because I like to take my time, I like to think and consider, and I don't want to make rushed slop for the algorithm. I just don't want to, even if it means slower growth.
So I started blogging, and now I'm trying out SubStack. Because I'm tired of the algorithms and suppressed reach. I'm tired of creating on eggshells, like I'm not allowed to experiment or make mistakes. If someone subscribes to me, I want them to see what I do. And if they don't want to see it anymore they can unsubscribe. I think that's okay.
This post really resonated with me because I spent so much time trying to be the "perfect" creator, that I wasn't trying to be myself. I was afraid to show myself to people because of my fear of rejection. But now I do think that is the way forward. Thank you!
This is a really thoughtful way to think about niche, audience, storytelling. Really enjoyed and makes me think about my journey of being a “slow tech” mom & advocate in my community and how I can encourage others to do the same. Thank you ☺️
Wes, this hit home in the best way. It’s a reminder that deep, authentic writing still matters, and that staying true to your voice isn’t just noble, it’s strategic. Thanks for saying what so many of us have been feeling.
You said it perfectly. They are just trying to dominate this platform and suck up revenue. Justin Welsh immediately went right back to the “I left the 9-5 rat race” blah blah stuff. Identical content from his posts on LinkedIn. He didn’t even change the wording at all. And there are already hundreds of people bowing to it like he’s some kind of sage freethinker.
And soon his clone army will create accounts here.
The only competitive edge a person has is to remain unique and avoid the trends.
This was super helpful. Thank you 👍🏾
Substack Isn’t LinkedIn 2.0 — It’s Just Revealing Who’s Still Operating Like It Is
I read Wes Pearce’s piece and nodded all the way through — especially the part about watching your “local coffee shop get bought out by Starbucks.” I’ve been here too long to get angry about it anymore. Now I just see it as another signal.
Not that the game is broken. It’s just not real.
It’s been a hustle since the beginning — back when it still felt new, original, or interesting.
Think about the situation carefully.
Gary Vee owns a media agency. He spends hundreds of thousands a month on organic social marketing to get clients for his agency.
Alex Hormozi hired a YouTube agency to blow up on YouTube. He's looking for investments.
Dan Koe and Justin Welsh got in early and now sell “how to succeed” programs that mostly rely on you copying their approach. They want to work as little as possible directly with people.
Sure — some of these systems work. But for most people, they don’t. And the money at the top? It’s not as big as it seems. I’ve got people in my network who made hundreds of millions off just a few smart real estate deals. I was in a CEO group for years. Most of the members had 8-figure companies built on real products — and actual stability.
The people getting hurt are the regular folks. The ones who think Substack is the new creator economy. The ones who think writing online is a solid business model. The ones trying to make a real living off a structure built for content volume, not personal freedom.
What’s happening now isn’t the rise of creators. It’s the rise of the creative original — as we start to find each other, across the globe.
Most people are still playing the wrong game.
Stuck in old business models — or now stuck in new ones.
Creating content for profit.
Chasing influence as a path to income.
Trying to become an online persona instead of an actual person.
I Played Their Game
That’s why my experience may be relevant here.
From the ’90s to 2023, I explored every version of business you can imagine — lifestyle companies, sales funnels, authority content, viral video, leveraged personal brands. I even helped sell early-stage AI solutions to major corporates. Built a 7-figure virtual company too.
It worked in the market. But it never held when it came to family, purpose, or real internal stability.
I knew how to get the meetings. I knew how to close.
But I kept waking up inside someone else’s blueprint.
I had succeeded — but I wasn’t free.
It took losing nearly everything to realize: the problem wasn’t marketing.
It wasn’t mindset either.
I took the risks. I had the money. I followed the models.
The problem was the system itself — built on performance, extraction, and expert empires.
I’ve always been early to every new ecosystem, every new technology, every new playbook. But that never guaranteed meaning from vision realized. It just gave me a better seat at the table.
That’s Entrepreneur 2.0:
Find the trend
Leap to win
Compete to stand above
Scale first
Position high
Build hierarchy
Optimize for visibility
I Walked Away
In early 2023, I flipped it all.
I had already turned a profitable company into passive income. So I shifted my attention, fully. I studied the Gene Keys. I came back to my marriage, found my stories, connected with the right people. I moved toward presence. I let go of the idea that business meant winning a war.
That’s when The Entrepreneur Experience was born.
Not a program.
Not a platform.
Not a signature framework to attract buyers.
An experience.
A field of dreams — where people who couldn’t be boxed in could finally build something real.
What We’re Building
We’re a team of 12 founders. Not authority marketers. Not passive-income course sellers.
People with soul-level buy-in. We even guide each other.
Some of us have built agencies. Others ran spiritual healing practices. Some rebuilt their lives after military service, trauma, or deep collapse. But we all came together for one reason:
We couldn’t bear to watch another generation of builders get trapped in influencer logic.
People like:
Brian Muka, who rebuilt himself after Iraq and now helps people face fear with precision.
Maria Platusic, who spent decades in brand design and now helps the most talented voices finally be heard.
Rick Meekins, who walked away from the traditional consulting world to help founders lead from their actual values.
Judy Kane, who clears subconscious blocks — gently, without force.
Chanda Crist, who can architect chaos into simplicity like no one else. Her relationship with AI is unmatched.
Mike Ashabraner, who burned down years of popularity marketing to build a heart-centered attraction system.
Louisa Jovanovich, who teaches clarity as a path to sovereignty — after years working with Hollywood elites who have more money than God but crave real connection.
Yael Lazar, who evolved her legal career to help founders and families preserve not just wealth, but wisdom.
Shine McClain, who’s helped countless creative entrepreneurs leap — and always land.
Jesse Storch, who makes tech feel like a human relationship.
Jessica Skains, who teaches how to live from life force, not burnout impacting real relationships.
And me — who couldn’t stop searching until the system itself changed.
We’re not the loudest. But we’re listening.
We’re not trying to “crush it.” We’re trying to build something that won’t crush you.
So No, Wes — It’s Not LinkedIn 2.0
Substack isn’t getting worse. It’s just getting louder.
The popularity lists already got published!
And when that happens, the real voices rise beneath the noise.
The influencers bringing their playbooks? They’ll burn out. Or dilute. Or move on.
What we’re doing can’t be copied — because we’re not trying to be unique.
We’re just showing up as ourselves. Together.
No funnel. No guru. No optimized headline.
No Big, Medium, and Little Stacks fighting for visibility.
Just connection. Clarity. And the courage to let it take the time it takes.
Because some things?
They’re worth building for the long term.
that's a longggg comment man
Hello, I am still quite new to Substack and find this all very strange. Does the world or the Substack readers or anyone else really need newsletters?? For what? I never woke up in the morning thinking: I can't wait to read one of those 555 newsletters on improving whatever it is that could be improved... I am sorry, but that seems a little off to me. Just live! Enjoy! Write if you love writing or just don't if you don't! That's MY message.
I spend more time deleting and unsubscribing so I feel you. I’m mostly here to build some connections with unique souls and find people to fill the void left in my soul from the modern world. I care less about reading newsletters but occasionally I do.
I don't know if I'm in the right but since one month I've grown addicted to reading some incredible newsletters from a few handpicked writers. That way I don't jump around trying to read everything from everybody. I take my time to go through a few issues and if I find the content in them to be genuinely useful and relatable, only then I subscribe. The picture was quite the opposite from what it is today. I had to unsubscribe from a lot of newsletters at the onset of this year because they were only saturating my inbox. I wouldn't miss reading them.
Quite surprisingly, I have a good writing day when I spend the first half an hour in the morning reading a Substack newsletter issue from my selected writers list.
I think you found the right strategy!!
That's true but maybe some people enjoy reading newsletters? Or notes? Or just connecting.
Very much agree with your first part. On your second part on looking at that as an opportunity. I am an optimist and often look at every new challenge as an opportunity of growth.
But, from the tech VC world, I have also learnt that you might be running a profitable and highly loved coffee shop in a nearby neighborhood. But when a star coffee chain baker by VC capital comes in, offering a lot of more free internet+full day work desks+extra cookies with coffee + almost 100% cashback until the neighbourhood coffee shop is going to get out of business.
It's important to figure out where do you wish to compete..
Substack is sacred. And authentic people make real money.
Not because they chase it. But because they mean it.
But the moment that truth spreads, here comes the crowd. People who never cared about depth. Who show up to milk the momentum.
DMs with double agendas.
Posts about how to make money on Substack, instead of making something that matters.
They’ll write for the algorithm.
They’ll teach the strategy.
But what they’ll never have… is voice.
Substack wasn’t made for them.
It was made for those of us who burned down the templates.
Who write because we have to.
And who let truth become the only strategy that ever worked.
If it’s good, it won’t be ignored.
Good writing will always be good writing. Just get it in front of as many eyes as possible.
I really appreciate this perspective, thank you! I'm still relatively new to Substack and have tried a few techniques (paid/free subscriptions, posting daily, sounding like a guru vs. a relatable person) and it's been a learning curve!
Thank you for putting words to some of the feelings we weren't expressing, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in these experiences.
I'm glad you wrote this article as I started to notice a few of the things you talk about as well. The influx of big names definitely can feel discouraging, but you’re right that it’s a different game here. Substack rewards substance over spectacle. And in a sea of repackaged advice, the proper way forward with substack is voice, depth and staying power. The big names may win the algorithm, but the most authentic will win the reader.
“The rules are different here.” 💯 you nailed it. I’m pretty new here, but I agree that having big names come here and bring their masses is a good thing. It’s still a dramatically different platform with different DNA and that’s what matters!
This is very true. I actually don't see it as a thread that influencers from other platforms come here, it's actually inspiring because you know that there is potential. Not to make more money but to build connections.
You said that someone said this:
You want to position yourself as the only person who can solve the problem you solve, in the way you solve it. That way, nobody can ever replace you.
It's interesting as this is what I actually do. I help fitness brands find their edge, position themselves as the only brand that can solve the problem the way they can by uncovering new hidden value and sacrificing something their industry loves.
Would you suggest to 'close' all other social media and jump to Substack 100% ?
What happens if your clients are on other platforms?
Wow! This one really resonated with me.
I've been on the Internet a long time, trying to make it as a digital creator. For over a decade I had less than 100 followers. I wasn't sure whether to blame my, or my methods, or the platform system itself.
When you're a small account you often feel like you're screaming into a void. Or throwing bottles out into the sea. Not only is it not your career, but you are not guaranteed a single comment or view.
So for awhile I tried following all the gurus. They are the experts, so they must know how to help right? I'd read about marketing funnels, posting schedules, algorithm obsession, optimizing your content for retention and virality.
I tried some of those things, but I could never fully commit to it because it felt "off" to me in a way I couldn't explain. Like I'm sure it works for some people, but it wasn't working for me. I didn't want to use people or make "optimized" content.
Another point was the post you made about starting over. Each time I messed up and "ruined" the account metrics, I would start over. Because I was afraid that I would be "punished" for my pace.
I am *not* the kind of person who can make daily videos. Because I like to take my time, I like to think and consider, and I don't want to make rushed slop for the algorithm. I just don't want to, even if it means slower growth.
So I started blogging, and now I'm trying out SubStack. Because I'm tired of the algorithms and suppressed reach. I'm tired of creating on eggshells, like I'm not allowed to experiment or make mistakes. If someone subscribes to me, I want them to see what I do. And if they don't want to see it anymore they can unsubscribe. I think that's okay.
This post really resonated with me because I spent so much time trying to be the "perfect" creator, that I wasn't trying to be myself. I was afraid to show myself to people because of my fear of rejection. But now I do think that is the way forward. Thank you!
This is a really thoughtful way to think about niche, audience, storytelling. Really enjoyed and makes me think about my journey of being a “slow tech” mom & advocate in my community and how I can encourage others to do the same. Thank you ☺️
Wes, this hit home in the best way. It’s a reminder that deep, authentic writing still matters, and that staying true to your voice isn’t just noble, it’s strategic. Thanks for saying what so many of us have been feeling.
You said it perfectly. They are just trying to dominate this platform and suck up revenue. Justin Welsh immediately went right back to the “I left the 9-5 rat race” blah blah stuff. Identical content from his posts on LinkedIn. He didn’t even change the wording at all. And there are already hundreds of people bowing to it like he’s some kind of sage freethinker.
And soon his clone army will create accounts here.
The only competitive edge a person has is to remain unique and avoid the trends.